Course Format

The course is taught in four evenings. The first evening is a lecture covering sections one to five below. The second evening is an oral drill covering the material in section 6. For this session, the class broken into small groups with about six students per instructor. The third session is all about GMDSS and the DSC Radio. The final session is the official exam. .

Upon successful completion of the exam on the fourth evening, the student will be issued a Temporary Operating Certificate. CPS will later mail a permanent certificate to the student. (Industry Canada has delegated the authority to certify marine radio operators on voluntarily fitted vessels to CPS.)


Course Outline

  1. Maritime Mobile Service
    • Radiotelephone Operator's Restricted Certificate (Maritime)
    • Radio Station License
    • Authorities: Industry Canada, ITU, Coast Guard
    • Radio Station Requirements: records and monitoring
    • Required and Recommended Documents
    • Secrecy of Communications
    • International Distress, Safety and Calling Frequencies
    • Propagation and the Transmitter Power Switch
  2. Procedures
    • Use (and misuse) of Marine Radio
    • Radio Operation, Word Spelling (Phonetic Alphabet), etc.
    • Procedural Words and Phrases
    • Calling Procedure
    • Simplex and Duplex Operation
    • Choice of Frequencies
    • Control of Communication
    • Priorities
  3. Distress Communications
    • Priority
    • Frequencies to be used
    • Distress Signal
    • Distress Call
    • Distress Message - examples
    • Acknowledging and Relaying a Distress Message
    • Control of Distress Traffic
    • Imposition of Silence
    • Cancellation of Distress
  4. Urgency Communications
    • Priority
    • Frequencies to be Used
    • Urgency Signal
    • Urgency Message
    • Cancellation of Urgency
  5. Safety Communications
    • Priority
    • Safety Signal
    • Procedures
  6. Distress Simulations
    • Distress Call and Message
      • Acknowledgment of Mayday by CG Radio
      • Distress Relay
      • Acknowledgment/Assist by other station
      • Distress Traffic
      • Impose Silence by Controlling Station
      • Impose Silence by Another Station
      • Distress Traffic on Scene
      • Cancellation of Distress by Controlling Station
    • Homework Study
      • Distress Call and Message from a Ship
      • Acknowledgment by Another Ship
      • Distress Traffic
      • Imposition of Silence
      • Cancellation of Distress
      • Distress Call and Message
      • Relay by Another Vessel
  7. Additional Information
    • Alarm Signals
      • Radiotelephone Alarm Signal
      • Navigational Warning Signal
      • Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
      • Emergency Position Indicating Buoy (EPIB)
    • General Electrical and Electronic Information
    • Alternative Radio Services
  8. Global Marine Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
    • GMDSS Equipment
    • Maritime Safety Information
    • GMDSS Sea Areas
    • Canadian Coast Guard Maritime Communications and Traffic Services Centers
    • Operator Proficiency

 

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